Klein, Victoria-based composer and singer Isaiah Bell and concert pianist Karen Lee-Morang teamed up to create Cocktales with Maria, a sexy drag opera performed cabaret-style that uses Klein’s interviews with several gay men who exposed their private experiences for his public performance.

“I was dying to do something really interesting, so I called Isaiah,” says Klein.

The two cooked up the idea and Bell suggested putting an ad online for men willing to divulge their sexual experiences.

“Instead, I took my friends out and spent $500 worth of drinks – and with their complete consent – put my phone out and put it on record and we talked about their sex lives and shared stories. It ended up being spectacular, what people share.”

The result is nine songs based on verbatim and frank discussions of what Klein calls, “the commonality of human experience.”

He says some audience members may be shocked by the content. “But the wonderful part of humour is that people are able to laugh at situations that otherwise might be too much for them.” On stage June 24. intrepidtheatre.com